12 Photos That Make Us Miss the Golden Age of Flying

With so many complaints about airlines today from baggage fees to limited in-flight service, it seems nearly impossible to imagine a time where flying was luxurious. But in honor of Scandinavian Airlines’ 70th anniversary, the company has released select images showing off the Golden Age of plane travel.

Taken in the 1950s through 1980s, these photos reveal the lengths they would go to provide a fine dining experience—a far cry from the microwave meals we have today. The pictures show smiling guests as they are greeted by flight attendants who are carting everything from caviar and lobster to a whole leg of carved ham.

The cabin crew is seen using real knives, clearly a sign that these flights were before the days of constant security threats. And there would even be a chef in formal garb, down to the toques, preparing a seafood platter for the passengers.

Other features of this nostalgic time included the use of porcelain teacups, and guests were offered a wide variety of drinks including beer, wine, and champagne to complement their trips. In addition, many of these photos were taken before there were different classes on the airplanes, so everyone got the royal treatment.

Menu items (yes they had menus) at that time featured things like consommé, roast chicken, crepes with mushrooms and bacon, and Bavarian cream with rum.

More images are set to be released closer to the anniversary, but take a look through these incredible images of the Golden Age of flying in the meantime.